This invention relates to a brake lathe for drum and disc rotor brakes for grinding the inside cylindrical surface of a brake drum and for machining the opposite parallel surfaces of a disc rotor and, more particularly, to a brake lathe for use in automotive repair shops.
Brakes lathes for resurfacing brake drums and disc rotors are well known and have been used in the art. These lathes commonly utilize a rotating spindle provided along an axis of the brake lathe housing and which accepts at one end thereof the brake device to be machined. The other end of the spindle is driven by a source of power such as a motor. A cutting tool is provided on a moveable platform attached to the lathe so as to advance the cutting tool into the brake drum or disc rotor. The depth of cut can be adjusted by moving the tool platform or by a depth-of-cut adjustment on the tool itself. These known brake lathes have the disadvantage that the cutting tool or boring bar which is normally used to resurface or grind the inside cylindrical surface of the brake drum is located on a mounting surface or platform which is disposed between the operator and the axis of the lathe housing. Accordingly, when the operator needs to adjust the depth of cut for work on a brake drum or to otherwise observe the cutter operation, the operator must lean over the lathe to view the cutting operation which takes place along the horizontal radius of the brake drum located on the operator's side of the lathe. This procedure is awkward and, therefore, the adjustment or observation is difficult to perform. Further, in combination brake-drum and disc-rotor lathes, the location of the guide surface or platform for the boring bar interferes with the placement of inboard and outboard cutters which are utilized to machine the opposite parallel surfaces of a disc rotor and which are also located between the operator and the brake lathe housing.
These and other disadvantages are overcome by the present invention wherein there is provided a brake lathe for use with both brake drums and disc rotors which permits the operator to view the cutting operation of a brake drum machining without leaning over the machine. Further, the brake drum and disc rotor cutting tools are advantageously provided on opposite sides of the brake lathe housing. Still further, the present invention also provides separate platforms for brake drum and disc rotor operations which are independent of one another.